Wrong Motor Oil to a Diesel Engine

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I have used Shell Helix Plus 10W-40 (but not the one for the Diesel engines) on 1.7 CDTi Astra. It says the following on the back cover.

API SL/CF, ACEA A3/B3/B4
VW 505 00
MB-Approval 229.1

Is it harmful to the engine(1.7 CDTi Astra)?

Thank you
 
We don't have Shell Helix in North America so that we don't know if there is Diesel rate CI, CI+ or CJ on the back label. If none of the Diesel rate CI, CI+ or CJ on the bottle then you should replace with Diesel oil as soon as possible. You may want to drive the car for few hundreds miles, but no more than 1k miles before changing to correct oil.
 
CF, VW 505.00 and ACEA B3 and B4 are all diesel ratings.

What does your owner's manual say about which spec oil to use?
 
Originally Posted By: BobFout
CF, VW 505.00 and ACEA B3 and B4 are all diesel ratings.

What does your owner's manual say about which spec oil to use?


As is 229.1.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: BobFout
CF, VW 505.00 and ACEA B3 and B4 are all diesel ratings.

What does your owner's manual say about which spec oil to use?


As is 229.1.


Ah, I wasn't sure since it's really old. 229.3 is the oldest MB spec I'm familiar with.
 
229.3 and .5 are also diesel-spec! 228.x spec oils are HD diesel oils, but 229.x are to be utilized for LD diesels.
 
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
I though 229.31 and 229.51 are diesel-spec, 229.3 and 229.5 are gas-spec.


.31 and .51 are low-SAPS diesel spec for the most recent diesels. .3 and .5 are mid/high SAPS for older diesels.
 
I got it. Thanks !

Back to the OP question, since the oil is CF rated it may not up to the recommended in the manual. If the manual states that CI+ or CJ then the current fill is not good.
 
small CRD, 2 way cat and EGR, it's unlikely to call for some super diesel engine, and more likely to like something PCMO...

But an excerpt from the manual would be a help.
 
FWIW, I looked it up on Castrol Europe's oil selector, and it recommended Edge 0W-30 or Magnatec 5W-30. Edge 0W-30 meets similar specs:
ACEA A3/B3/B4
API CF
Meets the engine test requirements of API SM
MB 229.3, 229.5
GM-LL-A-025
GM-LL-B-025
VW 502 00/503 01/505 00
BMW LL01

But I agree with the others: read the manual.
 
For the OP and everyone else: practically every oil made and sold in the last 20-30 years carries an API CF rating. It is easy to obtain and it means nothing. It certainly does not mean the oil is safe to use in modern diesel engines; for that one must look for newer specifications, either API or ACEA, or VAG or Daimler or BMW. There may be others, but those are the main ones for diesels.
 
Problem is that a lot of the Japanese and Euro diesels are specifying everything BUT a high rated diesel engine oil.

CI-4 would void the warranty on my Nissan
 
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Problem is that a lot of the Japanese and Euro diesels are specifying everything BUT a high rated diesel engine oil.

CI-4 would void the warranty on my Nissan


But you should still avoid one that carries only a CF specification. Your owners manual should tell you what to use. I would be VERY surprised if it says CF and nothing else.
 
It (my Nissan) clearly states not to use an oil with qualifications exceeding CF-4.

All of the oil company recommendations for this vehicle are PCMOs.
 
Mitsubishi just say CD or better for their common rail diesels,sounds like they couldn't care less what you put in them,anything will work.The new (old 4D56) 2.5 says CF,so that's an improvement.EGR is causing a lot of intake deposits.
 
Honestly, I think the distinction between petrol and diesel engines is becoming seriously blurred, particularly with direct injection, and some of the power densities that are out there now.

I tell workmates that to expect 400,000 from a modern diesel because the old troopy did it isn't comparing like fruit.
 
We just got a new workshop ute - a 2008 Triton... 2.4 petrol.It was a trade in and it wouldn't sell because no one would buy something so gutless...so we got it.Compared to the 2.5 diesel Triton it feels like it has half the power - 20 years ago it was the other way around,diesels were the gutless ones.And it uses twice as much fuel as the diesel too...no wonder they don't sell any.
 
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Honestly, I think the distinction between petrol and diesel engines is becoming seriously blurred, particularly with direct injection, and some of the power densities that are out there now.

I tell workmates that to expect 400,000 from a modern diesel because the old troopy did it isn't comparing like fruit.
Put an 8000+ pound/4K kg trailer on the back of a diesel truck & a gas truck-bet I beat you to the gas (petrol?) station! Also-I don't think diesel oils beyond CF are very common in Europe-all the new Mercedes spec oils (like 229.51) are ALL CF!
 
Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
Put an 8000+ pound/4K kg trailer on the back of a diesel truck & a gas truck-bet I beat you to the gas (petrol?) station!


The diesel won't need to stop for fuel so soon.And for hauling a load,no contest,it's diesel all the way.
 
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